Strange energy and silence: Volksparkstadion becomes a quiet zone | OneFootball

For four months, the Volksparkstadion was an almost impregnable fortress. Even against top teams, points were consistently secured.

But in the recent 1-2 loss against RB Leipzig, there was little to no sign of that electrifying energy. Instead of euphoria and Bundesliga excitement, there was – at least at times – an unusual silence.

Despite this, the arena was sold out as always. Before kickoff, there were protests against the fan-unfriendly kickoff time of 7:30 PM. The message on the north stand read: "Introduced for European Cup participants. Implemented for HSV – Damn RB. Liars, hypocrites, football enemies. Pro Saturday 3:30 PM." Tennis balls were thrown onto the field, and the match was interrupted early.

Coach Merlin Polzin later remarked: "You can certainly talk about the kickoff time." At the same time, he made it clear: "That should not distract from the performance, with which I am simply not satisfied today." Midfield enforcer Nicolai Remberg even spoke of a "strange energy" on the pitch.

Photo: Getty Images

No Happy Ending in the Volksparkstadion this time!

The evening began promisingly. When Fábio Vieira scored the lead in the 22nd minute, the stadium shook as usual. But the goals by Rômulo (36th) and Yan Diomande (50th) unplugged both the team and the fans. Even the saved penalty by Daniel Heuer Fernandes did not bring the hoped-for turnaround. "I was glad I could save the penalty," said the keeper, emphasizing: "We are always aware that we can score a goal with one action."

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That didn't happen on Sunday evening. Polzin explicitly attributes this circumstance to his team's performance: "The last thing we will start here at HSV is to criticize the energy from the stands. We need to show certain things on the pitch to ignite energy in the stadium."

In the end, there was a 1-2 defeat against a club with Champions League ambitions – so far, so undramatic. Nevertheless, the game clearly showed how much HSV needs a Volkspark in top form for its success.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.